Abstract: Victor Van Bourg was a prominent labor
lawyer in Southern California from the mid-1960s, until his death in 1999. He founded
the firm Van Bourg, Allen, Weinberg, and Roger, in Orange County which represented over
400 unions and their members. The Van Bourg collection consists of files from legal
cases brought to court by the law firm. The bulk of the materials consists of
correspondence with union representatives and court pleadings. Of particular
significance are the case files of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee and the
United Farm Workers Organizing Committee. There is also detailed material for the
California Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO vs. Oxnard Elementary School District during
the 1960s.

Biographical Information:

Victor Van Bourg was born in New York in 1931. His parents were Russian-Jewish
immigrants who arrived in New York around 1924. By the time Van Bourg was born, his
father was an active member in the local painters union. In 1935, the Van Bourg family
moved to Tujunga, California, where Van Bourg's father continued his labor
activities.

After studying law at Bolt Hall Law School at University of California, Berkeley, Van
Bourg became concerned with the problems faced by the organized worker. His first job
was with Charles P. Scully, the general council for the American Federation of Labor,
State Labor Federation. In 1947, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC),
led by Ernesto Galarza, became Van Bourg's major client.

Van Bourg founded the firm Van Bourg, Weinberg, Roger, and Rosenfield, where he
practiced for three decades. The firm represented more than 400 unions and their
members.

Access Terms

This Collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Genre/Form of Material:

Audio recordings

Paper records

Publications

Personal Name:

Van Bourg, Victor J.,
1931-

Topical Term:

Labor unions -- California

Administrative Information

Processing Information:

Robert G. Marshall and Julie Ann Paruolo, 1985

Conditions Governing Use:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s)
of this collection has not been transferred to California State University,
Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or
reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond
that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners.
Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of
the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

The Victor Van Bourg Collection consists of files from cases brought to court by Van
Bourg's firm on behalf of its labor clients. The documents included in the
collection reflect Mr. Van Bourg's concerns and involvement in the legal battles
for workers rights. The bulk of the material consists of correspondence with union
representatives and court pleadings. Of particular significance are the case files of
the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee and the United Farm Workers Organizing
Committee. There is also detailed material for the California Federation of Teachers,
AFL-CIO vs. Oxnard Elementary School District during the 1960s. The collection is
arranged in four series: Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) (1965-1967),
United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC) (1967-1969), California Federation of
Teachers, AFT, AFL-CIO (1966-1969), and Non-Manuscript Material.

Series II, United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC), includes files for cases
involving members of UFWOC. Materials in the series include correspondence, memorandums,
pamphlets and pleadings for the following cases:
Edmundson; Purity
Market vs. San Francisco; Shroyer, John vs. City and County of San Francisco and
Itliong, Larry vs. Welch, Robert, et. al.
The files are arranged by case and
chronological within.

Series III, California Federation of Teachers, AFT, AFL-CIO, contains a number of
motions, pamphlets, and stipulations pertaining to a case between the CFT and the Oxnard
Elementary School District. The Oxnard Educators Association served as interveners for
the appellees. Also included are bills, correspondence, judgments, minutes, pleadings,
policy statements, and reply briefs. The files are arranged according to the nature of
the material and chronologically therein.

Series IV, Non-Manuscript Material, includes photographs documenting the UFW picketing
of the Digiorgio Fruit Corporation's fields, and seven cassette tapes containing a
1981 oral history interview of Van Bourg conducted by Dr. Leonard Pitt, Professor of
History at CSUN.